1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to travel trailers and, in particular, relates to a chassis for a fifth wheel travel trailer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recreational fifth wheel travel trailers provide individuals with spacious, comfortable and transportable lodging. In particular, a typical fifth wheel travel trailer comprises a housing member having a multi-level interior living space formed therein, a multi-level chassis adapted to support the housing member, and a carriage member having a plurality of wheels interposed between the chassis and a supporting surface so as to enable the trailer to travel on the supporting surface. Furthermore, the typical fifth wheel trailer is adapted to detachably mount to a towing vehicle so that a front end of the trailer extends beyond the load bearing rear wheels of the towing vehicle so as to enable the towing vehicle to essentially act as a fifth wheel.
Since fifth wheel trailers are currently available with lengths as great as forty feet and pop-out sections that provide the housing member with increased width, their interior living spaces are able to resemble that of a nicely appointed home. For example, it is common now for a fifth wheel travel trailer to include a large kitchen, a large bathroom, a large bedroom, and a large living area. Moreover, such trailers typically include multiple water storage tanks for supplying hot and cold water as well as for storing waste water, wiring for distributing electrical power and a central heating/ventilation/air conditioning (HVAC) system for providing desirable environmental conditions within the interior living space.
Thus, the typical fifth wheel travel trailers is often relatively heavy and its mass is often spatially distributed over a relatively large volume. Consequently, the chassis of the trailer is often exposed to relatively large bending moments. However, since typical chassis are often formed with insufficient rigidity, they are often unable to maintain a sufficiently fixed shape in response to spatially distributed gravitational forces exerted on the trailer. Thus, the relatively large strains of the chassis are often transferred to the housing member so as to produce unpleasant noises and so as to inhibit interior items, such as cabinet doors, from operating in a desired manner due to these items being placed in a strained condition.
In other words, the large size and weight of the chassis results in portions of the chassis deforming over continued towing of the vehicle. Typically, a floor structure is built up above the chassis and deformation of the chassis can result in the floor deforming over time. Deformations in the floor can result in uneven flooring and can also result in cabinets and fixtures becoming detached or warped over time. This problem is particularly accentuated by the fact that the modern fifth wheel trailer is often used as a second home and is attempting to closely approximate the level of quality in construction that is found in an actual home. However, the fifth wheel trailer is also designed to be towed which results in vibrations and stresses transmitted to the chassis, the flooring and interior furnishings which can result in the foregoing problems.
The difficulties associated with building a chassis that is sufficiently rigid to inhibit the deformation of the flooring and interior furnishing resulting from towing the trailer is increasingly resulting in prior art chassis designs that are increasingly complicated and involve heavier structural members. However, increasingly complicated chassis designs significantly increase the cost of production of the travel trailer. Moreover, the trend in the industry is to increase the amount of furnishings in the travel trailer at a cost of increasing the weight of the vehicle. Hence, the increases in the weight of the travel trailer resulting from the increase in the weight of the structural components of the chassis can often result in a larger proportion of the travel trailers weight being consumed by the weight for the chassis.
From the foregoing, therefore, it will be appreciated that there is a need for an improved chassis for a travel trailer such as a fifth wheel. In particular, there is a need for the chassis to be relatively rigid so as to reduce strain related noises and so as to reduce the transferring of strain to interior items of the trailer. Furthermore, there is a need for the chassis to be relatively lightweight so as to reduce the weight of the trailer. Moreover, there is a need for the chassis to have a simple design so as to enable the chassis to be fabricated at a relatively low cost.
The aforementioned needs are satisfied by one embodiment of a fifth wheel travel trailer of the present invention comprising a chassis having a main section and at least one elevated section. In particular, the main section of the chassis comprises a first and a second longitudinally extending main longitudinal member each having an upper mounting surface, a plurality of longitudinally extending inner longitudinal members each having an upper and a lower mounting surface, and a plurality of laterally extending inner cross members each having an upper mounting surface. Furthermore, the plurality of inner cross members are laterally disposed between the main longitudinal members so as to interconnect the main longitudinal members such that the upper mounting surfaces of the main longitudinal members align with a first mounting plane and such that the upper mounting surfaces of the inner cross members align with a second mounting plane positioned beneath the first mounting plane. Moreover, the plurality of inner longitudinal members are disposed between the main longitudinal members such that the lower mounting surfaces of the inner longitudinal members are positioned adjacent the upper mounting surfaces of the inner cross members and such that the upper mounting surfaces of the inner longitudinal members are substantially aligned with the first mounting plane. The fifth wheel travel trailer further comprises a housing member comprising a plurality of walls so as to define an interior living space therein, wherein the housing member upwardly extends from the chassis so as to receive support therefrom. The fifth wheel travel trailer further comprises a carriage member comprising a plurality of rotatably mounted wheels so as to provide the trailer with mobility, wherein the carriage assembly downwardly extends from the main section of the chassis so as to support the chassis. The fifth wheel travel trailer further comprises a floor assembly comprising a main section, wherein the main section of the floor assembly directly mounts to the main section of the chassis in the first mounting plane so as to further rigidify the main section of the chassis, wherein the space between the main section of the floor assembly, the main longitudinal members, the inner longitudinal members, and the inner cross members defines a plurality of longitudinally extending channels.
In another aspect of the invention, the aforementioned needs are satisfied by a travel trailer comprising a chassis having a main section and at least one elevated section wherein the main section of the chassis is comprised of a plurality of lateral cross-members and a plurality of longitudinal members that are interconnected at a plurality of interconnection points so that upper surfaces of the plurality of longitudinal members are substantially co-planer at a first height. Furthermore, the plurality of lateral cross-members are attached to the plurality of longitudinal members such that the plurality of interconnection points are located beneath the first height. The travel trailer further comprises a carriage member comprising a plurality of rotatably mounted wheels so as to provide the trailer with mobility, wherein the carriage assembly downwardly extends from the main section of the chassis so as to support the chassis. The travel trailer further comprises a floor comprised of at least one panel directly attached to the upper surfaces of the plurality of longitudinal members so that at least one longitudinal channel is defined by the floor, the plurality of longitudinal members and the lateral cross-members. The travel trailer further comprises a housing member defining an interior living space therein, wherein the housing member upwardly extends from the chassis so as to receive support therefrom.
From the foregoing, it should be apparent that main section of the chassis of the travel trailer of the present invention provides the travel trailer with a relatively high degree of rigidity in response to the weight of the trailer. Thus, the main section of the chassis is less likely to experience warping, thereby enabling interior items, such as cabinet doors, to operate in a more desirable manner. Furthermore, the longitudinal channels defined within the main section of chassis enable elongate elements, such as air ducts and electrical cables, of the travel trailer to be longitudinally disposed therein. These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.